Family and Fortune
by BlueHecateMoon
Summary: Escaping the House of Fortune isn't as simple as it seems. The stakes are raised and time is of the essence when the group discovers that the deranged fortune spirit is actually draining the life out of Gladstone. Donald will have to put aside some of his pent-up bitterness if he plans on helping take down Liu Hai. If he doesn't, his nephew Louie might be next.
1. Something's Wrong Here

_Disclaimer: Not affiliated with Disney_

A/N: _Author also known as JamieOver_JamieGone  
_

 **Family and Fortune**

 **Chapter 1: Something's Wrong Here**

* * *

 **...**

 **"FOUR?! AH-HA-HA! YOU WIN** _**AGAIN!"**_

Donald's posture sank like a deep sea submarine. It was funny, really, how years upon _years_ later his cousin could still manage to make him feel like fool. Ever since he could remember, luck had never been on the shorter duck's side. Misfortune followed him, it seemed, wherever he went. It didn't bother him most days, Donald had adapted well to his own unlucky nature, but when Gladstone Gander was around all that self-esteem he'd built up to survive adulthood suddenly vanished. He felt an inch and a half tall and as dumb as a piece of driftwood. He felt cut open and exposed to the judgment of everyone around him, including his own young nephews.

Gladstone had a way about him.

And it wasn't just his strange and unusual good luck that got to Donald, it was his personality too! His cousin was the personification of arrogance. He walked, talked, and breathed his too-cool-for-school attitude and held himself in such high regard that most couldn't help but believe he was the best darn duck they'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. **_HA!_** It made Donald want to laugh... and scream. If all that good luck happened to up and vanish one day, there would be nothing left to mask the lazy, selfish, mirror-hugging buffoon his cousin really was.

There wasn't a decent bone in Gladstone's body, he was sure. But despite the lucky Gander's plethora of unfavorable attributes, karma never cared to pay the narcissistic loafer a visit.

It made Donald Duck thoroughly, utterly, completely, and altogether FURIOUS.

"Oooo. S _oooo_ close, Big D." Said loafer slung his arm about his shoulders like an old pal and ruffled Donald's already messy hair. "Hey, how about we play- "

"No, I give up." Donald knocked his cousin's grip from his shoulder, ignoring the hurt expression that flitted across the other duck's face. "I've had enough. I don't want to play anymore."

"Aw come on, Donaldo. You're not giving up already, are you? We've just started!"

He looked away. No one was worse at keeping their emotions in check than him. He had to swallow five times just to get the lump out of his throat.

 _No_ , he would _not_ cry or scream or carry on in front of his nephew. He should have been prepared for this. This happened _every_ time. Without fail, fortune was always on the more handsome duck's side and Donald was left looking like the loser. It was ridiculous! He would try his utmost hardest to be better than Gladstone at one thing _\- ONE_ thing, and it would always blow up in his face... sometimes literally, but he wouldn't throw a tantrum over this. He wasn't ten anymore. Besides, he wasn't even all that sure Gladstone deserved getting the brunt of Donald's temper.

 _Calm down. Count to ten, Donald. One, Two,_

Gladstone Gander was a smug jerk, but he couldn't always help how lucky he was.

 _Three, Four,_

It could be that this was all just as innocent as Gander said. He didn't want to think that his cousin would deliberately invite them just to shove Donald's face in the dirt, but still...

 _Five, Six,_

What was he supposed to think? Calling the family all the way out here for "help" and then encouraging him to play games _he_ had the upper hand in? Dragging Louie along?

 _Seven, Eight,_

It was all leaning towards the mean-spirited and the hot-headed guardian of three impressionable boys didn't like it one bit.

 _Nine,_ _ **OH ENOUGH OF THIS!**_

"I came to _help_ you!" He shouted in Gladstone's face. The other bird stumbled back a step, startled by his sudden change in temperament. "To help _YOU!_ And instead you embarrass me in front of the boys."

"I'm not trying to embarrass you, Don!" Gander threw up his arms, practically snarling his words. Typical. Like he had any right to be the frustrated one! Donald gritted his teeth, desperately holding back the need to sock his stupid face. "I just wanted to give you and the fam a taste of the good life!"

"By showing them I'm a _loser_?" He hated referring to himself as such. His sister had always told him that being self-deprecating was one of the worst traits anyone could have. Gladstone probably shared that same view, because he looked utterly disgusted.

" _UGH!_ Winners, losers, who cares? If you want to impress them _Keep playing_."

As if on cue, to add a handful of salt to the already gaping wound in Donald's pride, Louie honked the horn on one of Gladstone's winning cars. Donald turned his head, watching his nephew grin as the young duck hung out the window.

"LOOK, UNCLE GLADSTONE! IT'S SO COOL!" Louie waved, calling out and honking the car to "shave and a haircut".

The look on the little boy's face when he watched his uncle lose over and over, being made to look like a fool in front of the child that he alone had raised,

Honestly, that had hurt more than the actual losing did,

And he couldn't bear it another second.

"I'm done."

...

* * *

...

"Aww! But _guuuys_! If we hurry we can catch the 4 o'clock show!"

"I've had quite enough of that aquarium madness for one lifetime, Huey." His great uncle said firmly. "Enough for _three_ lifetimes, maybe four."

"It's called Aquari _AN_." The boy folded his arms and tipped up his chin like he was some water dancing aficionado.

This was starting to get out of hand, Scrooge decided.

It had been like this for _hours_. He'd drag the kids from here to there in search of the hotel's exit only to be halted by every shiny spectacle they happened to pass by. The water show had taken up the most time, but at least he'd gotten a moment to rest his feet.

It was obnoxious! The whole place was a funhouse maze that was no fun at all! It was all greens and reds and buzzing with bells and whistles going off every two seconds- _ARGH!_

Maybe this was his own fault. He should've known Gander wasn't in any _REAL_ trouble. The lad had always been one for dramatics. Even as a little one, Gladstone craved being the center of attention at all times. He remembered consulting Hortense's husband on more than one occasion about the boy's presence in Donald and Della's lives. Gander's ever growing aura of arrogance and unquenchable cravings for attention were no habits he wanted for his sister's children.

And the no-good layabout's little " _gift_ " of luck only inflated the issues. As his sister's children grew older, their terror of a cousin showed up less and less and that had been just fine with him. _Real_ success has nothing to do with luck. Success is working hard and giving it your all! Success is believing in yourself! Success is making mistakes and learning from them. Success was NOT moseying your way through life, waiting for some supernatural power to give you what you want or save you from a fire-breathing dragon or help you outrun an avalanche on Mount Ev-

 _ **"Wait! "**_

Scrooge blinked hard and looked down as Webby's little hand shot out to the right. He gave her a questioning look and followed the hand over to the little set up of gifts across the way. It was green, of course, and red with golden pillars shooting up from the floor to hold up a large sign that read "Treasures and Trades"

Webby pulled her hand back and scratched her head. "Guys, didn't that gift shop used to be over here?"

The old duck's eyebrows shot up.

"Yeah" Dewey added. "You know, now that you mention it."

The little ones weren't wrong. No, he was certain that shop had been right where they were standing only an hour ago... Hadn't it? Out of all the floors, he'd been on the third floor the most. Why he was almost _positive_ that if someone handed him an pen and paper he would be able draw the layout of the whole thing from memory. _That_ layout, however, would not match the one they were looking at now... Or would it? He was so confused!

"Everything's always moving around in this blasted place! How can that be?"

"Maybe they're remodeling?" Huey shrugged.

"Mayyybeee." He mutters. But _that_ didn't make much sense, did it? The store's shelves were built into the rug and tile. It would take days, maybe even weeks (if the workers happened to be lazy good-for-nothings) to successfully rebuild a structure that elaborate. Was he really getting that old? Was he losing his touch for navigation? He didn't want to think so, but then what was the meaning of this?

 **"** ** _Ahh!_** **Scrooge McDuck!"**

The group made a collective cry of surprise and whipped around to see the toad, Liu Hai, at their backs.

Liu Hai was as calm as always, impeccably dressed, and practically glowing emerald green like the walls around him. He was a very strange fellow, Scrooge thought, with a very strange glint in his dark eyes. It seemed like a lot of the employees in this creepy hotel had an odd way about them that the old duck didn't like. They were listening intently at all times, looking about, and giving sinister eyes as him whenever he voiced his dislike for the establishment.

An exceptionally loyal staff, maybe? or something else? Scrooge McDuck intended to find out.

"Now, where did _you_ come from?" He made sure his displeasure could be heard in his voice. He hated being snuck-up on, especially in a place as strange and confusing as this dump.

The creepy toad didn't miss a beat, smiling that stupid smile of his without falter.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. McDuck." He said. "I didn't mean to frighten anyone."

" _Frightened?_ Surprised is more like it."

"Well, my deepest apologies. I happened to be passing through and couldn't help but overhear-"

"Oh you couldn't, could you?" Scrooge bristled. "Seems like that's all you and your staff know how to do! Eavesdrop and avoid telling me where we can find the blasted hotel exit!"

The toad ignored the outburst completely, smiling through it and continuing "I believe you were having some trouble locating a specific gift shop? We have exactly ten stores here in the House of Fortune. Some are pop-ups, some stationary."

"No, we are looking for the _EXIT_."

Something in the toad's smile became predatory.

"Don't worry, Mr. McDuck. All items on our pop-up carts can be found in the emporium on the second floor."

"Get the wax out of your ears! I'm not looking for a store! I'm looking for the exit!"

"The _exit_?" Liu Hai laughed haughtily. "But you've barely just gotten here! Have the children experienced our buffet yet?"

"BUFFET?" The little ones' shouted with excitement. Scrooge growled and tightened his grip on his cane.

"Oh yes!" If looks could kill, the amphibian would be cooked. "The best on this side of the world!"

The kids began to jump up and down, taken by the toad's promises of candy and chocolate fountains. Of course, the children were too young to understand, but the whole situation was extremely disturbing. Liu Hai had completely deflected his questioning about where he could find the exit! It was becoming increasing clear that no one in this hotel intended on letting them leave, and they were doing a fine job of it.

Scrooge didn't know if he should be angry or impressed.

"Something's very wrong here."

...

* * *

...

"W-What? Wait! Donald, No!" Gladstone panicked, grabbing for Donald's shoulder again as he made a B-line towards the elevators, but the duck was too quick. "Donald!"

No, No, _NO!_ This was _NOT_ the way things were suppose to go!

Donald was angry- _Very_ angry, and he'd known him long enough to know there was no talking to his cousin when he got like this. From across the busy hall, he could still see the guy stomping his feet into the green carpet, white feathers burning red with a rising temper that warned all others to stay clear.

"Pshh! Don't worry about it." The kid in green says, standing beside Gladstone and mimicking the older ducks stance. What was his name again? Leo? Larry? Lenny? "Uncle Donald is fine. Just let him cool down. _Trust me._ There's nooooo talking to the guy when he's like this."

" _Yeah_. I know." His reply came out a little more clipped than he meant it to. The kid didn't seem to notice at least, he just turned back to the machines and started playing again.

Stupid games. Stupid casino! STUPID _LUCK!_

" ** _AHHARRGhhh_**!"

A demonic waiter turned to give Gladstone the eye as his wail of despair echoed through the playing floor. Swallowing hard, he ran an agitated hand through his perfect hair and straightened his collar.

Ok ok _. Chill,_ Gander. Breathe. Let's take a step back and look at the facts:

1) He was trapped here (Worrisome)

2) He couldn't tell his family that he was trapped here (Very worrisome)

3) He'd most likely _accidentally_ gotten his family trapped here with him (Better than being alone)

4) His plan to use Donald's bad luck to defeat Liu Hai was going up in smoke (Really REALLY Worrisome)

This was bad, _REALLY_ bad. He couldn't take much more of this. He'd thought his cousin would be the bad luck charm that threw a wrench in this wacko's psycho plan, but things were looking pretty grim. Donald was furious with him. He's screamed in his face, stomped his feet, and stormed off,

Probably off to find _Ol' Uncle Grumpy._

How frustrating...

He himself could never understand Don and Della's obsession with Scrooge McDuck. Yeah, the guy knew how to have a good time _sometimes_ , but for the most part he was as fun to be around as a toothache. It had always bothered him a fraction that the two siblings hadn't wanted to hang around _HIM_. Gladstone Gander was the luckiest duck in the world, wasn't he? He was cool, he was fun, he was... Well, regardless, he was at least their AGE! He just didn't understand it!

And what had he done to Donald to make him hate him so much? The duck's hostility had only grown in recent years. At first, he'd thought it was the weight of having to raise his late sister's kids, but now? Gladstone was sure it was something much more than that. He didn't recall ever giving his cousin a reason to hate him so much. Of course, they'd had their tiffs, but that's exactly what they had been, right? Tiffs? Easily brushed off and forgiven?

Even as a child, Gladstone had always craved Donald and Della's friendship. School hadn't been easy for a child whose supernatural good luck had him winning the most awards and prizes out of every other kid in school. He remembered that fateful day like no other, the day he'd thought his luck had run dry,

The day three fat-headed dopes circled him on the playground.

 _Well well well,"_ Jealous of his good luck, the bullies had called him a cheater. _"Look at that, boys? The walking four-leaf clover got a new lunch pail!"_

The three older jerks had pulled at his necktie, they'd pushed him down, they'd spat in his face. The little duck tried to pick himself back up, but they'd pushed him again, this time scattering all of his belongings across the pavement.

He was not a cry-baby. Little Gladstone Gander did NOT cry, but he'd almost cried then... _almost_.

 _"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"_ His cousin had quacked loud enough for the whole schoolyard to hear. All blue, black, white, and red standing in front where he fell like a hero out of a comic book.

 _"Mind your own beeswax, you sailor-suited nerd."_ The bullies laughed and turned back to hurt little Gladstone more, but Donald wasn't finished.

Like a creature from the darkest part of hell, Donald's face turned red and the frightened duck watched in admiration as his cousin viciously attacked the bullies. The memory of their bloody noses put a fond smile on his face even now.

 _"Of course! I'M the one that gets in trouble!"_ A young Donald had complained. _"Just my luck that I would get a week's detention for sticking up for the luckiest kid in school."_

In retrospect, he supposed he should have verbally thanked Donald for helping him that day. Instead, the lucky duck had pulled his cousin into the biggest hug he'd ever given anyone without saying another word on the matter. Gladstone had hoped it was enough to let Donald know how much he'd really appreciated him... Apparently, it wasn't.

 **"YEAH!"**

"G _aaa_ h!" One of the machines behind him suddenly burst into song, making his heart leap into his throat. Gladstone frowned and looked to see Della's kid jumping down from one of the slot machine's stools.

"I won! I won! I- _uhhhhhh._ I _mean_ YOU won, Uncle Gladstone. _ha ha_. Definitely _NOT_ the under-aged kid in the green suit jacket. Nope."


	2. Worn Out and Worn In

**Family and Fortune**

 **Chapter 2: The Worn Out and the Worn In  
**

* * *

 **...**

"J _uuust_ great."

It doesn't get worse than this, he was sure. The peak of an old man's misery was standing in a buzzing casino, lost as a babe in the woods, and watching three ten-year-olds completely destroy a fine dining buffet made up of taco dim sum, Fettuccine éclairs, and anything you can think to dunk in a vat of chocolate.

 _Horrible scheming toad._

This hotel was a conundrum, a unsettling puzzle that was missing its last piece! It shouldn't be taking this long to find a way out and Liu Hai wasn't helping. The rascal thought he could distract Scrooge by distracting the children,

And he had thought right.

"Uncle Scrooge, look! It's a strawberry the size of my hand!"

"Uncle Scrooge, look! I'm eating sushi made of raw fish and cotton candy!"

"Uncle Scrooge, look! I'm swinging from a vine of grapes like Tarzan... but with _grapes_!"

Yes, Liu Hai may have won this round, but the McDucks were NOT a clan of quitters. He'd let the little ones have their fun and then they'd be back to finding the exit. It had to be around here somewhere. He was close. He _had_ to be.

"Uncle Scrooge?"

He heard Donald's voice call out from gift shop. The duck was wandering through an isle of glass, bumping into every expensive item littering the shelves and shattering it onto the floor.

" _Aargh..._ oops?"

Hopefully he wouldn't have to pay for those. 'You break it, you buy it' was a dangerous rule of thumb around his sister's clumsy son. A much younger McDuck had learned the hard way that Donald had poor coordination.

"Oh, for the love of-" Before he could break anything else, Scrooge quickly caught the boy's eye and waved him over. "Hurry it _up_ , Donald!"

The duck was dragging his feet at an agonizingly slow pace, eyes downcast and back hunched. Young Louie was nowhere in sight. "Hm." That could only mean that things with Gander had probably gone sour.

Of course, he knew better than to ask his nephew out right.

" _So_ , finally done paradin' around with that lazy buffoon?"

No surprise, Donald's face darkened at the mention of his cousin. This was a typical outcome, really. It had been ten years since he'd seen the two ducks interact with each other, but Scrooge remembered how even at Della's memorial Gladstone had found a way to irk Donald. It looked like the boy was still letting that arrogant showboat get under his skin.

 _Foolish Foolish, Boy_

"Let's just get the kids and go home." His nephew folded his arms around himself. "I've had enough of this place."

"I couldn't agree more."

Perfect! They could all work together now. Two adult minds were better than one. Together, they would find the exit in no time!

"Webby! Boys!"

 _"Yes, Uncle Scrooge!"_

The three ducklings skittered to a halt in front of his spats. Their hands and faces were covered with so much food, they looked like little dumpster monsters! Webby's head looked like it had been dunked in chocolate, Huey had a vine of grapes he was swinging like a lasso, and Dewey had stuffed his hoodie full of chicken wings... _sauced_ chicken wings.

Scrooge cleared his throat and brushed a bit of sugar off of Dewey's head.

"What in the world did you let them get into!" Donald quacked.

"It wasn't _me_! That Liu Hai character, he- ... Hold on now _._ Why are you shouting at me? I was watching _three_ of them! You only had _one_! Where's Louie?"

"He's- " Donald cut himself off and sighed, eyes dropping to the carpeted floor. "He's still with Gladstone."

Ah. Just as he thought.

It certainly answered a lot. Donald hated the way the children fell all over Gladstone and Louie had taken extra shine to him it seemed. Something would have to be done about that. Scrooge wouldn't have Louie turning out to be anything like Gander.

But _that_ would have to be conversation for a later date.

"I imagine it's going to be harder convincing Louie that it's time to go."

"Just leave him here!" Little Huey shrugged, surprising his two uncles who looked down at him with raised brows. "If he wants to complain about Uncle Donald, then let him live with Uncle Gladstone for all we care!"

Scrooge glanced quickly to Donald who, despite being the object of Huey's praise, was frowning.

From what Scrooge had witnessed so far, Huey and Louie were the two siblings who had the least in common; Not that it was a bad thing. Just because you're family, doesn't mean you need to like the same things. But like opposing magnets, their differing opinions often caused fights between them.

It worried Donald a touch, he could tell. Family was family. It didn't matter how different you are, you love unconditionally... something Scrooge himself had always struggled to remember. Still, he didn't think there was much to worry about when it came to Della's boys. There was a hint of dislike and anger that Scrooge could sense from the red wearing (frankly smarter) sibling, but nothing noticeably alarming. Huey and Louie would probably never be the closest of brothers in their adulthood, but they would still be there for each other.

Their other brother Dewey pulled a lollipop off his shirt and popped it into his mouth saying "Fine, but if we leave Louie here, I am _NOT_ cleaning out his room."

Webby's hand shot up. "I'LL DO IT!"

"NO! No one is being left behind." Donald stomped his foot. "Let's just get Louie and get _going_."

A resigned "Yes, Uncle Donald" followed and the sticky children gathered closer.

...

* * *

...

"Ooo! This one! Over here, Uncle Gladstone!"

Not too long after Donald stormed off to find Scrooge McGrumpy-Pants, Gladstone had decided to make an effort to learn the kid's name. Mise well get to know him a little better if they had time to kill, right? He was bored of this buzzing prison. What a mess! He needed to talk to Donald, but there was no use in trying to make amends right now.

No, he would let the beast simmer for an hour or two before trying again.

The kid wasn't so bad, anyway. Gladstone usually didn't do well with children, he just wasn't a "kids" kinda guy, but spending time with Della's boy was surprisingly... _surprising_?

His name was Louie (not Leo, Larry, or Lenny apparently) and he liked the color green and watching R-rated movies behind Donald's back.

"Vampire Robots from Outer Space" was his favorite.

The little duck had a big sense of humor too. He liked hearing himself talk and told story after story. Louie told him about his school, and the girl he likes in his class. He talked about the old boat he and his siblings used to live on with Donald. He even mentioned how he would hide cookies in his sock drawer so he could have one before dinner- The kid was a riot!

It was honestly so strange, Gladstone Gander had never met anyone else who so closely reminded him of himself like Louie did,

And it worried him.

Maybe at another time and place, it would have delighted him. The kid was an natural! He wins and wins big with a lucky air that might just rival his own! It was incredible and a tiny bit mind-blowing. For years, he thought he'd gotten his good luck from his father's side of the family. The Ducks were simple folk. They had never been lucky or particularly talented at anything, as far as he knew. So, he'd reveled in his father's well-known name. The Gander's were strong, successful, (a little arrogant) and proud- Seemingly, everything the Ducks were not.

But if that was true and it _was_ the Gander in him that gifted Gladstone with his luck, then how did Della end up with a boy who was just like him?

It was almost unbelievable, but he was the last person to ever question the integrity of a person's natural luck.

Little Louie hustled and lied like a pro. He learned fast how to work the tables and did his best to make it look like his uncle was the one winning and not him... a waste, of course. No numb spirit in this joke of a palace would ever stop the under-aged kid from playing some fake games in a FAKE casino, but there was no way to tell Louie that without Liu Hai "reminding" him of his place.

The duck grimaced and shivered.

He could feel the evil spirit's eyes on him whenever the bells would go off. Their game of killing time was drawing the wrong kind of attention.

Poor Louie. After every prize he'd win, the kid would look up with big, adoring, _trusting_ eyes and all Gladstone could do was give the boy a half-hearted word of praise or a nervous laugh that sounded unsettling even to him.

"You okay, Uncle Gladstone?"

"Erm- Yeah, Green Bean. Never better."

He was **_NOT_**. He was **_NOT_** okay. **_Nothing_** was okay.

He needed to formulate a new plan. He was positive that enough bad luck would tear down the house, or at least weaken Liu Hai enough for him to escape, but first he had to ensure that his bad luck charm didn't leave without him. When he'd first came up with the plan, he'd thought it would be easy. Of course, that was before he'd found out about his cousin's general dislike for him. Now that he knew, he would have to figure out a different way to get Donald to keep playing (and losing) these games.

Gladstone checked his watch, swiping his other hand over the sweat on his forehead. Was it getting hot in here, or was it just him?

"Alright, Louie, hows about we check in with ol' Grumpy and Dopey?"

That was enough time for Donald to cool down, right? He couldn't stay mad at him forever! After all, they were _family_.

...

* * *

...

 **"OUCH!"**

"Hold still, Webby!"

Webby wasn't his, she wasn't even related, but he couldn't help his parental instincts kicking in when he saw a sticky, wet, candy stuck to the girl's head. If it dried, it would be stuck in there for good! Donald didn't want to think of how furious Mrs. B would be to see the mess Webby had made of herself.

"I can't believe you left the kids unsupervised at a buffet." He grouched, fingers prying up the red candy from Webby's tangled strands.

"It wasn't _MY_ idea, trust me."

Scrooge marched ahead of them and jabbed his hand into the elevator's glowing green button. They'd decided to go to the very bottom floor. Wherever there was a help desk, there would be an exit... in theory. Once they had found the door, they would find Louie and hightail it out. It was as easy as that!

"That monstrous toad will say anything to distract us from what's really important. We need to stick together and stay focused."

The tranquil coloring of the elevator button on the wall briefly flashed red before turning back to its original hue. Little Dewey had been the only one to notice, blinking up at his uncle's faces to see if anyone else caught the change.

"Uhhh Guys?" The grown-ups kept bickering as the elevator opened. They all climbed aboard, all except for Dewey.

"You okay, Dewey?" His brother asked. His hand was waving in front of the door's sensor, eyebrow quirked with curious concern.

Nobody had seen what he saw then? Maybe it was nothing. This place looked pretty high-end. Donald had never been rich, so Dewey had never really been anywhere this fancy except for the McDuck mansion. Maybe it was normal for elevator buttons to flash red like that?

Then again, he _was_ feeling a little extra sleepy all of the sudden. _AH!_ That had to be it! He was overtired and seeing things. Problem solved.

"Nothing. It's nothing." he smiled wearily and entered the elevator. The metal doors closed behind him and the box began its decent. "I'm just tired, I guess."

"Well, you did eat your own weight in chicken wings." Huey shrugged.

"Yeah. No regrets."

In seconds, the doors reopened and they all stepped out onto the first floor of the House of Fortune.

The lobby was beautiful and even more elaborate than the other floors. Intricate golden carvings and expensive vases lined the walls. A hand woven rug with gold trim covered the floor and the ceiling was painted red. It was breathtaking... Well, it would have been breathtaking if the family wasn't so collectively irritated.

Now, let's see...

Technically, if this were a normal hotel, the exit would be by the service desk, right? Scrooge turned his head left and right, up and down-

"There's the service desk," He pointed his cane to a long set up of counters and stanchions where a bunch of workers were running back and forth with stacks of papers. "But where's the door?"

There were no doors.

There weren't even windows! But how could that be?

No, no, no. He was _sure_ he saw the service desk when he'd first walked in. There were floor to ceiling windows! Where did it all go?

"Donald," Scrooge grabbed for the younger ducks arm, squeezing it hard enough to signal his alarm without scaring the children. "I don't like this"

The boy nodded, opening his mouth to reply-

 **"Scrooge McDuck and family!"**

 _"UUUGGH!"_

The adults slapped a hand to their foreheads. There, behind the busy counter of the House of Fortune, was Liu Hai. He was standing tall, arms folded gently over a computer keyboard and smiling like a yellow bellied piranha.

"Not _this_ toad again." The old duck slammed his cane down on the floor and stormed forward. Over his shoulder he said " _You_ stay with the little ones, Donald, and leave _him_ to me."

"Fine."

And it was. Donald didn't feel like arguing with the toad anyway. The day had already been a tiresome catastrophe. Between Gladstone's tomfoolery and the kids making a complete mess of themselves while under Scrooge's care, Donald had officially lost all of his patience for this adventure. He wanted to go home. He wanted to hang up his hat and collapse into a chair and watch TV until he passed out. He never wanted to see this hotel, or Liu Hai, or even GLADSTONE GANDER _ever_ again!

The nerve his cousin had, tricking them into visiting him here and then acting like a complete-

At Donald's hip, Dewey suddenly pressed his head hard into his uncle's dark jacket.

"Dewey?" He looked down and brushed his hand over the child's head. The tuft of white fluff didn't move.

Strange. It was a little out of character for his ten-year-old adventurer to cling. Dewey never did this. Huey sometimes, once in a while Louie, and never EVER Dewey. He gingerly wrapped his arm around the child's shoulders and the boy immediately sagged. " _Dewey!_ "

Everyone's eyes were on him, but the uncle didn't care. A horrible alarm had sounded in the back of Donald's mind, warning bells, red flashing lights- Was his boy hurt? Was he breathing? The duck immediately hefted the child up then, pulling him against his chest.

"He fainted!" Webby shouted.

"He's dead!" Huey cried. The boy ran up to Donald's side and started tugging not-so-gently at his brother's dangling feet. "He'd dead! He'd dead! My brother is a zombie!"

Dewey was limp in his uncle's arms, head lolled and resting on his shoulder. Donald hushed the cries of the kids below him and listened-

Softly, _VERY_ softly, the sound of Dewey's gurgling snores passed through the little duck's beak and into his uncle's ears. All at once, Donald was filled with gracious GLORIOUS relief.

"What's wrong?" Scrooge shouted, hurrying over to push his way passed Huey and Webby. "Is he alright?"

"He's asleep." Donald adjusted his hold, settling the majority of Dewey's weight on his hip. He met his uncle's eyes with an uneasy look. "This isn't like him."

"It was probably all the excitement." He sighed, hand petting at the little guy's hair. Donald was a worrier. He worried over everything when it came to Della's boys. Overprotective was putting it mildly. "He'll be fine, Donald."

Liu Hai, in all his obnoxious glory, had also made his way out from behind his desk to come slither up to Scrooge's side.

"Oh my. I heard some commotion." The toad held up his hands at the glares he recieved. "I only wanted to make sure your children were alright."

"Perfectly fine." Scrooge snapped. "Little ones are worn out, that's all."

"Worn out?" Liu Hai smirked. "My word! The poor darlings. Not to worry, gentlemen. As first time guests, let me extend a helping hand." He waved his green arms and elegantly pulled a room key from his sleeve. "A free nights stay on the house!"

"No" The pair said in unison, but the kids seemed to have a different plan. As soon as the word "No" left their mouths, both Webby and Huey yawned and swayed on their feet like toddlers after nine. In a panic, Scrooge reached for them.

"Webby? Huey? What's wrong with you bunch?"

Odd, for Dewey to fall asleep so suddenly was strange enough, but there was no way all three of them would have the same problem at the same time. The only thing they had in common was... w-was the **food**.

The elder duck shared a grim look with Donald.

"Check me in." He spat in the toad's direction, snatching the key from the amphibian's hand.

Something was very VERY wrong here, but it didn't look like he had a choice.


	3. Unsettling Realizations

**Family and Fortune**

 **Chapter 3: Unsettling Realizations**

* * *

 **...**

As used to adventures as Louie was, he had to admit that two hours of trailing behind Uncle Gladstone's quick, somewhat panicky, steps was slowly starting to exhaust him.

His uncle didn't so much as pause, weaving in and out of people and ducking in and out of stores like he was on some Mission Impossible man hunt. For the life of him Louie couldn't figure out what the rush was. The rest of the family couldn't have gone too far, right? They wouldn't just LEAVE Louie here...

 _Right?_

Well, not that Louie would be heartbroken if they _did_ leave him here. After all, Gladstone was the cool uncle! Louie could honestly say he'd get used to the perks that followed the lucky Gander around. The prizes, the wealth, the leisure, it was everything the little duck had ever dreamed of! Sure, he would miss his brothers _maybe_ , but then he would be sipping soda on a yacht somewhere off the coast of Cape Suzette with at least two transformers fanning him and all would be forgotten.

 _A kid could dream._

"Hey, Uncle Gladstone! Wait up!"

Holy ketchup, that guy could speed walk.

Was he _that_ worried about the others? He was acting like they were in danger or something; It was weird and kinda unnerving...

Come to think of it, a _LOT_ of things about his cool uncle were a bit off this trip. He'd always known the guy as slick and smooth, cool and calm. The uncle that Louie was seeing now was a bit more- No, _A LOT_ more jumpy than Louie remembered him being. Gladstone was constantly peeking over his shoulder, constantly pulling at his collar, sweating and shaking and-

Okay, yes. Now that Louie really stopped and looked at his uncle, he could see that something was definitely off with the usually calm, collected, and confident charmer. Had he been like this the whole time and Louie had just been too self-centered to notice? Was he suffering from some sort of panic attack?

Somehow, the thought of Gladstone panicking over losing Uncle Donald didn't sound quite right. It was so out of character for him to stress- well, about _ANYTHING_ really.

He nervously followed Gladstone onto the third floor's elevator and quickly obeyed when his uncle tiredly requested that he hit the first floor.

"First floor it is!" The boy said cheerfully, desperately trying to lighten the mood. "Are we gonna ask the front desk?"

"... something like that."

Louie watched his uncle warily, noting the way he swayed a bit on his feet the second the elevator touched ground.

"Come on, Louie." He ushered his nephew out and made a b-line for one of the desks; _specifically,_ the desk that had that big, green, weirdo toad behind it.

There was another customer at the desk when they got there, but Gladstone didn't seem to care. He stepped right in front of them and leaned over the counter.

"Where's the others?" His uncle growled with a hatred Louie had never seen. The green hotel owner lifted his head. A tight smile was already plastered on the toad's face. He didn't seem at all bothered by Gladstone's sharp demand.

 **"Mr. Gander,"**

Louie frowned at the way the toad said his uncle's name. It reminded him of the way Evildoers would taunt the heroes in the R-rated action flicks Donald didn't know he watched. The owner's smile grew. He opened his mouth to say something more, but then froze when his yellow eyes caught sight of a small blob of green and white, practically blending in with Gladstone's hip.

 **"** ** _Ahhhh._** **And your sweet little nephew... I almost didn't see him there-"**

"I said- _Where are they."_ His uncle repeated with a touch more malice. The toad's right eye twitched, shifting back and forth between the two birds before him.

 **"They checked into their room for the night."** The villain answered between gritted teeth. **"The little ones were just** ** _so_** **drained."**

Gladstone briefly glanced down to Louie. The expression on his face was stern and... maybe a bit anxious. His fingers drummed on the counter when he looked back up, matching the toad's level of irritation with his own hiss- "What's the room number?"

 **"Let me** ** _check._** **"** Green fingers tapped lazily on a touch screen. **"It looks like they've been situated on the highest floor of the tower-"**

"How convenient."

 **"I could take you there myself?"** Gladstone pressed Louie against his side as the toad leaned over, looking down at the little duck like he was dinner. **"I would** ** _love_** **to get more acquainted with your young nephew."**

 _Oh, heck no._

Louie clutched the back of the elder's green coat, face brushing the fabric like a three-year-old would do to their mother when confronted by a stranger.

"Yeah, hard pass." The kid shouted. He felt his uncle tense and, for a brief moment, he feared his uncle would yell at him for being rude.

Gladstone only chuckled.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Louie. And I think I know my way around this dump by now, eh Liu Hai?" The look of the toad's face was murderous. "Let's see, five guests on the highest floor? I know _exactly_ where to find them. Thanks a _bunch_."

His hands didn't leave the saftey of his uncle's green jacket until they were back on the elevator.

"What a weirdo! What was WITH that guy?"

"Yeah, he's a strange one. I don't know what to make of him, really." Gladstone sagged, leaning heavily against the wall as the doors closed. "He's got an attitude problem and not the good kind."

Louie stood silently observing him. Taking in and trying to absorb everything he had just seen. That Liu Hai weirdo was a _bad_ guy, no if, ands, or buts. Whatever was going on between him and his uncle wasn't good. He'd never seen Gladstone act like that in his whole life! Granted, he only really saw the guy once every year or so, but to see the lucky Gander hissing and red-faced like Uncle Donald...

It was really unsettling.

"You go on, Green Bean. Tell your uncles I'll see them tomorrow."

His uncle gave him a tired smile when the elevator reached the top. The expression didn't quite cover his distress though. Louie doubted Gladstone had much practice covering _any_ emotion let alone all of the unfavorable ones he was experiencing now.

And the poor guy looked terrible.

Louie halted in between the elevator's double doors. Would Gladstone be okay walking back to his room by himself? He hated to leave him like this.

"Are you gonna be okay?" The kid reached out and pressed his hand to the adult's forehead. "You feel kinda warm. I can find my own way back if you'd like some help-"

"No." Gladstone brushed him off and straightened his back. "I'm right as rain, kiddo. Never been better."

Louie wasn't convinced, but if he didn't want help there wasn't much he could do.

"Erm. Okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You bet."

He saw Gladstone wink at him as the doors closed, but it still did nothing to help the uneasy feeling he had. All of the adults in his family were the same. They lived by the saying "grin and bear it". Even Uncle Donald lived by it, minus the grin. Louie often wondered if he was actually part of the Duck family sometimes. He was a complainer by nature. He wouldn't call himself clingy or whiny, but when he was sick he was down and out for the count. If he didn't feel well, he wanted everyone to know it and feel bad for him and fall over him-

The exact opposite, it seemed, of what an average member of the Duck family was supposed to do.

Hopefully, Uncle Scrooge and Uncle Donald would be able to help Gladstone if he needed it. No matter how independent his uncle seemed to want to be, Louie wouldn't bear to see the guy suffer alone if he was truly in trouble.

Gladstone Gander was family, right? Family was supposed to help family when they were sick or in trouble.


End file.
